Author: Editor

The Federal Government says the 2026 budget has been carefully designed to consolidate the gains of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda, which is beginning to yield positive results across key sectors of the economy. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this in an op-ed published on Monday in national newspapers, titled “A Defining Moment for Nigeria: Why Staying the Course Matters.” NERDC Unveils Nigeria’s Education Reforms at Global Symposium in India According to the Minister, the proposed 2026 budget, tagged the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” aims to strengthen ongoing reforms and…

Tragedy struck the Bulumkutu area of Maiduguri on Sunday night when a fence collapsed on six children, killing five and leaving one injured. Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said the lone survivor is currently receiving medical treatment, while investigations have begun to determine the cause of the collapse. Lagos:Lagos Building Collapse: Death Toll Rises to 5- NEMA According to Daso, the incident was reported through the Divisional Police Officer of the Bulumkutu Division. “Yesterday, we received a report of a fence that collapsed on six children. Unfortunately, five…

Mustapha Muhammad January 5, 2026, marks the 63rd birthday of His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, Executive Governor of Kano State, a milestone that invites not just celebration, but sober reflection on a life defined by service, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to the people. It is a moment to pause and take stock of a leadership journey that continues to shape the social, economic, and moral fabric of Kano State through deliberate, people-centred governance. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s story is one of steady growth and quiet determination. From his childhood through his formative years, he exhibited traits that would…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded two separate letters to the Senate, requesting the confirmation of 21 nominees for the boards of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). In the first letter, the President nominated former Senator Magnus Abe as chairman of the NUPRC board. Abe, who represented Rivers South East Senatorial District for two terms, previously served as a board member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and is currently chairman of the National Agency of the Great Green Wall. Also nominated as non-executive commissioners for the…

Ibrahim Ibrahim No fewer than seven persons have been confirmed dead, while fourteen others sustained injuries in a road accident in Jigawa State. The incident was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the spokesperson of the Jigawa State Police Command, SP Lawan Shiisu Adam. According to the police, the accident occurred on Sunday evening along the Chaichai–Ringim Road following a head-on collision involving two vehicles. SP Adam explained that the crash happened at Yakasawa village in Ringim Local Government Area and involved a Golf 3 wagon and a Toyota Sienna vehicle. “Seven persons died instantly, while fourteen others…

Ado Salisu The Athletics and Other Sports Development Initiative (AOSDI), a non-governmental organisation advocating transparency and accountability in sports governance, has faulted the conduct of the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), describing it as a failure and a national embarrassment. Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NGO, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, made this known in a press statement issued in Abuja, where he accused the NOC leadership under Engineer Habu Gumel of incompetence, lack of transparency, and poor governance. According to Gara-Gombe, it is unacceptable that a country like Nigeria could fail…

Public reactions to the recent wave of defections by state governors have been loud, emotional, and in many cases, misguided. Commentaries frame these political movements as sudden acts of opportunism or personal ambition. That reading is shallow. What we are witnessing today did not begin with defections. It began in courtrooms. The current political realignments were effectively predetermined by a sequence of judicial decisions, particularly those of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which have profoundly altered political structures across several states. Plateau State offers the clearest illustration. In a single judicial sweep, all sixteen elected members of the Peoples Democratic…

Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, former Special Adviser on Strategy and Information Management to Gov. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has urged the Gombe State Government to provide additional support for the families of seven journalists who died in a tragic road accident on December 29, 2025. The accident occurred along the Gombe–Yola highway in Kaltungo Local Government Area, when a tyre reportedly burst on a Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) bus returning from a wedding ceremony. Six of the deceased were staff of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Gombe, while the seventh was an information officer with the Gombe State Universal Basic Education…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent warm congratulations to the Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, on the occasion of his 63rd birthday, marked on January 5, 2026. In a congratulatory message signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu praised Governor Yusuf for his integrity, humility, modest lifestyle and unwavering commitment to public service, qualities he said are evident in the administration of Kano State. Governor Yusuf, who was elected in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), previously served as Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport in…

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has attributed former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua’s survival in a fatal car accident to divine mercy. Pastor Adeboye made the remark on Sunday during the church’s monthly thanksgiving service, while teaching on the theme of God’s mercy and preservation. According to reports, Anthony Joshua was involved in a serious road accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway last Monday. The crash claimed the lives of two of his close associates, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele. Joshua, however, sustained only minor injuries. Tribune Online reports that…

No fewer than 42 persons have been killed following coordinated attacks by suspected bandits on communities in Agwara and Borgu Local Government Areas of Niger State, with an unspecified number of persons, including schoolchildren, abducted. A reliable source disclosed that the attackers had been raiding villages in Agwara for over a week without resistance, allegedly due to the absence of security presence in the affected areas. According to the source, 37 people were killed in Kasuwan Daji near Papiri, while five others lost their lives in Kaima village. Several residents were abducted, including pupils and students of St. Mary’s Private…

Sanni Dutsinma Muslims across the country have been urged to conduct their daily activities in line with the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in order to attain success in this world and the hereafter. The charge was given by the Leader of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Dutsinma Local Government Area, Alhaji Badamasi Sulaiman Karofi, during the 10th Qur’anic Graduation Ceremony of Baitulsalam Islamiyya School held in Dutsinma, Katsina State. Alhaji Karofi emphasized that when parents play their role effectively by instilling moral and religious values in…

Ibrahim Ibrahim After decades of living in darkness caused by erratic electricity supply, residents of Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State are finally witnessing renewed hope following the connection of the town to the Gagarawa National Grid by Governor Umar Namadi. For many years, unstable power supply crippled businesses, hindered economic growth, and lowered the standard of living in Ringim. Residents often endured weeks—and sometimes months—without electricity, forcing households and business owners to rely heavily on costly generators and alternative energy sources. Successive administrations made efforts to address the challenge. During the tenure of former Governor Sule Lamido, Ringim…

Ibrahim Ibrahim No fewer than 30 people are feared dead following a canoe accident in Guri Local Government Area of Jigawa State. The incident occurred on Saturday evening when a canoe conveying passengers from Garbi village in Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe State to Adiyani cvillage in Guri LGA capsized while in transit. A resident of the area told journalists that the boat was overloaded with passengers at the time of the accident. 14 Dead, Many Feared Missing After Canoe Carrying 100 Capsizes in Kebbi According to the source, 16 people have so far been confirmed dead, 10 others…

The Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI, has achieved a major breakthrough in its counter-terrorism operations in Nigeria’s North East with the identification of a key suspect linked to recent suicide bombing attempts in the region. According to the military, the suspect, Shariff Umar, also known as Yusuf, has been identified as the principal coordinator of suicide bombing activities operating around Maiduguri and neighbouring areas. Israeli Attacks Kill 21 in Gaza; 181 Dead from Hunger The identification followed an intelligence-driven cordon-and-search operation conducted in the Kalmari area of Maiduguri on December 31, 2025, during which 14 suspects were arrested. Military…

Dr. Vincent Ojeh Many people have observed that despite being in the traditional harmattan season, the familiar cold mornings, dry air, and thick dusty haze are largely missing. This is not a coincidence or a false perception. It reflects real changes within the West African climate system, driven by both natural variability and long-term climate change. KNCDC, Zayt Empower Almajiris on Scabies, Infections During Harmattan Under normal conditions, harmattan occurs during the boreal winter when strong high-pressure systems form over the Sahara Desert. These systems generate cool, dry north-easterly winds that carry dust southward across West Africa. At the same…

The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested several suspected thieves and drug dealers in coordinated operations across the state, recovering stolen property and a large quantity of illicit drugs. The arrests, which took place in different local government areas, are part of the Command’s sustained efforts to curb crime and criminality and ensure public safety. In Kirikasamma Local Government Area, police operatives on December 31, 2025, intercepted a 23-year-old suspect, Mohd Yarima, of Bulanceri Village, in possession of a black Bajaj motorcycle without registration number and a bag of fertilizer suspected to have been stolen from Gayin Village. Police investigations…

Ado Salisu The Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) has unveiled its New Year Honours List, recognising seven outstanding players whose performances between December 1, 2024 and November 30, 2025 defined one of the most successful periods in African Scrabble history. The honours were ratified by the PANASA Technical Committee led by Technical Director Chrispine Okeyo (Kenya), alongside Ratings Officer Umar Faruq Babainna (Nigeria), Don Elijah Kagiri (Uganda), Adedeji Khaleel (Nigeria) and Emmanuel Enyi (Nigeria). The committee reviewed continental rankings and performances at the World English-Language Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC) Ghana 2025. To date, PANASA has awarded 13 Continental Champion…

The Headquarters, 35 Artillery Brigade, Abeokuta, has dismissed allegations circulating on social media over the alleged non-payment of soldiers’ allowances and extortion of motorists by troops deployed in Ogun State, describing the claims as false and misleading. The denial followed a viral video authored by an individual identified as Abdul, which accused the Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Godwin Nwamba, the Commanding Officer of the 351 Artillery Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Matthew, and the Brigade Operations Officer, Major Isaac Ezechukwu, of wrongdoing. Addressing the allegations in a statement issued on January 2, 2026, the Brigade explained that soldiers deployed on company…

A four-day Women’s Bazaar, organised by the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children, and Persons with Special Needs, has successfully concluded, with each participant receiving ₦50,000 to support and expand their businesses. The initiative, led by Commissione and Ambassador Amina Abdullahi San, provided a vibrant platform for women entrepreneurs, including persons with special needs (PWDs), to showcase and sell their products, build business networks, and access new markets. Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Commissioner, represented by the Director of the Women Department, Bilkisu Shafi’u Jibrin, commended the participants for their creativity, resilience, and commitment to economic self-reliance. She…